Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-02-24
BURNING rHB Krxa.
Slow the News % tho Declaration Of
Independence Was Repetved ne
RMuAgMN.

Slow the News % tho Declaration Of
Independence Was ksecetved ne
Iselawara's Capitol.
Through the courtesy Of Chief Justice
Colnegys the GAZETTE Is permitted to
make public the following letter from
historian OF prominence, which will be
read with much interest by every Della
warean:
NEW BRusswtcK, N. j., Feb. l0.-Hon.
JOSEPH p. Con,egys, DoUer, Del.--MY DEAR
s1R; l reg to spprise you Of the safe arrival
b, exs res Of the books you sent me. lmme-
iiatsiy upon receiving them gave them .
close scrutiny, with a view OF discovery OF
anything they might contain bearing upon
the matter OF my special inquiry, In which
/ was much assisted by the book marks you
had thoughtfully caused to be placed In a
number OF the pages OF the Life OF Read"
With your permission having become much
| interested In the biography OF Read, Will
retain n FOR a careful perusai.
| find that my impressions rs stated inmy
| last note TO you, as TO the existence il Delil-
! ware Of the same sS stem OF coinmllIees
/ that existed in the other colonies are con-
| fronted In the Life OF Read" As early as
\ 1T74 there were county committees and a
i general committee. Caesar Rodney writes
| 10 Read, July 81, l774. with this have
sent YOU a packet enclosing u letter from the
| committee OF this county (kenD 10 the
committee Of yours" New Castle). And IN
a letter from Wilmington by Read to
Mexican and Rodney, dated May 10, 1776,
he speaks several times OF the COMMITTEES
of Safety referring, l have no doubt, to
the committee of safety OF Delaware. l
am embollened by the interest you have
manifested in the subject, though at the
risk OF boring" you to impart to you, a
and Of mine, describing the manner In
I 4nh fbsa ~ 1nb ua ranatuAd at
your own town of Dover. After having
hunted frultlessly Through all the libraries
and old book stores could learn OF In New
York, and having almost given up further
search as hopeless, came yesterday upor
an old book store in cellar on Fultor
street, where found an imperfect set. (onl,
4 volumes) of the biography OF the
SIgners," by John Sanderson, published II
Philadelphia, In 1927 by R. W. Pomeroy
One of these by rare good fortune con
tanned a biographical sketch of Casa
Rodney, in which occurs the following in
teresting passage, straight to the point, o
It ihs time Mr.. Rodney's letter Ito Col
Haslet announcing the Declaration) reache,
Dover the election OF officers OF new bat
TALON was going on; the Committee Q
Safety, however, immediately met and afte
receiving the intelligence proceeded In
body to the courthouse where (the eiecee
! being stopped) the President read IN
declaration of Congress, and the resolntlo
Of the House OF Assembly for the appoin
ment of a Convention, each of which n
, | ceived the highest appreciation OF th
| people in three huzzas. The oommitte
then went In body back to their room
0 | where they sent for picture OF the Kin
OF Great Britain and made the drummer
the infantry bear 1t before the Presiden
!, | They then marched two and two, followe
4 by the light infantry 10 slow time vii
: music, round the square, then forming
y circle about fire prepared In the middle
( the square for that purpose, the Preside
pronouncing the following words. con
] hitting 1t to the flames: Compelled
Y strong necessity, thus we destroy even Il
!, shadow of that King who refused to reit
= over q free people," Three loud huzz
= were given by the surrounding crowd al
a the friends OF liberty gained new coural
to support the cause In which they had 81
9 barked,
From this 1t appears that in 1776 the
was Committee OF Safety at Dover, with
= president, and special room for the
. | meetings. Also that the Assembly passed
y resolution appointing Convention or Pr
yineial Congress. Doubtless this resoluti
contained some reference to the Decla
alton, probably approving and endorsing
n | The questions arise: where did Sandt
son get his information 2" and Are not
70 authorities still extant In Delaware ?"
Of Yours Very Sincerely,
a CHAs. ID. DEsHLER